Mask of Vaikuntha Vishnu, late 5th century. Learn more about 5th century masks
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Handloom commonly used for traditional tapestry and carpet weaving, in which the warp threads are stretched parallel or nearly parallel to the ground between two rollers that help control the tension. The shed or gap for the weft threads to pass through is opened using treadles, leaving the weaver’s hands free and making the weaving process faster than with the hand-operated mechanism of the upright high-warp loom. The weaver works weft patterns into the back of the warp using a reference image placed underneath, typically viewed by tilting the frame or using a mirror.